Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/654/10981
From The Socialist newspaper, 19 January 2011
Workplace news in brief
Pensions ballot
Teachers' union NUT members are participating in a survey about action over pensions. The education department is threatening to increase contributions from 6.4% to as much as 10% of salary. The NUT executive meets on 18 January to consider the results of the survey, so all NUT members should make sure their executive member supports an urgent ballot for strike action.
Members of the lecturers' union UCU will be balloting for strike action on jobs, pay and pensions. Higher education branches from 2 February to 2 March and further education branches and members in post-1992 universities from 23 February to 11 March.
Birmingham bins
The recently planned strikes by Birmingham bin workers were called off at the last minute by the trade unions. They say that negotiations have produced enough to call off the industrial action. Negotiations are proceeding as the bin workers clear the backlog of rubbish. But it seems that the workforce is still facing major pay cuts and a worsening of working conditions, whilst the position of agency workers is increasingly precarious.
Hull workers fight sacking
At midnight on 12 January, Lovells housing maintenance workers in Hull were told that they were no longer going to be paid. In effect they were being sacked. What has happened to these workers is a timely warning to all public sector workers who face privatisation. It also gives the lie to Cameron's claims that the private sector is better at doing public sector work.
The workers used to be part of the direct labour force in Hull city council. The last Labour government "outsourced" the housing maintenance work to three arms length companies - Keir, Connaughts and Kingston Works Limited (KWL).
In July last year Connaughts went bust. Under the original agreement, the Connaughts workers should have been taken back into Hull city council's employment. Instead Carl Minns, the Liberal leader of the council, sold the workers and the work to Lovells, another private firm.
Ken Thompson, UCATT steward, explained that: "The workers are demanding that the council either takes them and the work back in house or organises their transfer to KWL and Keir."
Mick Whale
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In The Socialist 19 January 2011:
National Shop Stewards Network
Discussing an NSSN anti-cuts campaign
Socialist Party NHS campaign
International socialist news and analysis
Socialist Party news and analysis
MPs' expenses scam continues: for workers' MPs on a worker's wage
Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election: A left-wing workers' alternative needed
Wales referendum: Vote Yes on 3 March - Defend public services in Wales
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Socialist Party youth and students
Student receives draconian sentence
Students demand - 'save our EMA'
Education Maintenance Allowance: 11 January day of action
Urgent action needed to end youth unemployment
Socialist Party workplace news
PCS members vote for battle against cuts
Strike at sweatshop DWP centres
Teachers strike against redundancies
Heinz strikes force improved offer
Cameron 'thanks' postal workers by axing their jobs and pensions
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